The Fox & the Exiled
by CrimsonMars
Summary: Due to a sudden institute complication, two different champions are force to become roommates. Will they settle their differences and get along... or become something more? Ahri x Riven
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Shout outs to Ryuuna14 of deviantArt for letting me using the thumbnail. Her work is actually not bad! ( )**

**My first attempt at a LoL fan-fic. I'm not quite as up-to-date on the lore itself as of late so forgive me if I made any mistake.**

**As usual, reviews are welcomed. I'm always willing to learn. I hope you enjoy my story. :)  
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It was, as usual, a dark, gloomy night at the Summoner's Rift. The temperature was fairly warm, with a slight gust of wind breezing in the air to balance it out. The fields were engulfed with an thick layer of darkness commonly know as the Fogs of War. The eerie sounds of creatures of the night made constant noses in the background, owls, crows, even the hums and hisses of ghostly spirits that hints there existence. It was enough to make most normal people shiver and weep in fear.

Of course, the unnatural atmosphere of the Fields of Justice did not faze Ahri, the Nine-tailed Fox however. She was in fact, seemly without a care in the world, playing with her magical blue orb as she prepares for her upcoming battle on the purple side. She was accompanied by four other comrades, Riven, Trundle, Graves, and Taric, each with their designated assignments. Their ultimate goal is to destroy the enemy team's nexus, with is team blue. Their opponents are Gankplank, Sejuani, Talon, Nami, and the newest champion at the time, Lucian. There were no summoners taking control of them so they were free to make their own decisions. The champions of the league would sometimes do this to home their own individual skills as well as to introduce newer champions to the fields such as Lucian. They would also do this to get a break from the poor and undesirable decisions the summoners would make.

Ahri in particular was assigned to head towards to the middle path or 'mid-lane,' where she will be most likely be fighting Talon, the Blade's Shadow. The nine-tailed fox woman had gone toe-to-toe with the Noxion assassin many times in the league, and in most of those times, Talon had became victorious. As cunning as Ahri was, the Blade's Shadow had several tricks and techniques of his own that ultimately gave him the upper hand. Most of the time however, she would usually blame her defeat on the many summoners that would pick her. After all, losing isn't one of Ahri's many desires. But since this match was entirely left on her own mind and skill, she was more than determined to win. Ahri was already thinking about what exactly she would do to him. She was leaning towards a little bit of humiliation.

But there wasn't much time for that as the minions where already spawning. Graves was already discarding the signore he was smoking and clocking his gun as if he was ready for his first fire-fight with Lucian. Taric was just finishing polishing one of his gems as he follows his partner. "Alright. Let's see what this Lucian guy is made of," said Graves as he aim his gun forward, as if he was about to shoot something.

"I just wonder what he would think about this sort of gem," replied the Gem Knight as the two headed toward their lane.

Meanwhile, still indecisive about her plans, Ahri was catching up to Riven as she was guarding the right side of the purple team's woods to make sure the enemy team doesn't invade. She wanted to know more about her opponent and how she would make him regret crossing her so many time before. "Hey Riv!" yelled the eager and beautiful fox woman. "What do you think I should do to that cowardly hooded man you call Talon?"

Riven merely looked at her with her usual scowl. It looked as if she was at least somewhat annoyed and bother well she was guarding her post for the time being. "How should I know?" she simply asked.

"Huh?" Ahri was slightly disappointed with that sort of answer, but then replied, "Aren't you both Noxion?"

The white-haired swordswoman moaned in grief. "I don't know Talon all that well. Why don't you ask Katerina?" she asked.

Ahri was beginning to frown, realizing her comrade wasn't being as helpful as she should be, or just wasn't interested, but then again, Ahri was mainly focus on having fun and messing with her opponent, rather than simply winning. A common trait with the nine-tailed fox. Ahri then folded her arms. "Katerina's not here though, Riven."

She rolled her eye's on that remark. "Look. If you're going to beat Talon this time, you're going to have to take this a little more seriously. The reason why you kept losing to him so much is because, in a way, he counters you, so you're going to have to try extra hard when you're facing him. Knowing him and his family of assassins, he won't hesitate to put a blade through your skin. I know that much."

Of course, Ahri still wasn't all that satisfied with Riven's response. Her logic was overshadowed by her ego and hatred for the hooded man. Of course, Ahri wanted to win, but the desire to make Talon suffer was too great. "You're no fun," she simply stated.

Riven groaned softly afterwords, then said, "Go help Trundle, will you? You know he needs help obtaining his first blue buff. I need to get to my lane now."

"Fine," she pouted.

Ahri then rushed to aid Trundle in dealing with the ancient golems that was guarded the blue energy he need, but by the time she got there, it was too late. Trundle had already toking care of it with some help from Graves and Taric but he was already too weak to clear the rest of the jungle. When Ahri arrived, she was merely looking down at the tired troll. He looked at her back angrily. "Where were you?!" he asked unpleasantly.

"Hey, you survived, didn't you?" Ahri said causally, acting like this wasn't a problem.

"If you'd helped, I would have been more prepared to take on the rest of these creatures. Now I have to go all the way back home to recover!" His tone remained stern and crude, but Ahri remained unfazed by his obvious anger.

She merely shrugged it off and finally went to her lane. By the time she got there though, Talon was already there, killing off each of the allied minions one by one for the gold and experience. He already reached level two. It was apparent that Ahri wasted too much time with Riven and was already falling behind. But her confidence remained unfazed. She'll just have to be creative, which is the fox woman's specialty. She had no intention of holding back.

The two kept a close eye on each other, waiting for one to make a mistake. Talon's face showed no signs of remorse. He glared at Ahri as if he was ready to even try something. From Ahri's experience, the Blade's Shadow was just as cunning, if not more. It was no secret that he'd killed people in the past, and seemed to be quite good at it. But Ahri was an assassin too, even though her methods were, in some cases, a little different. If it's one thing Ahri had learned, it's to never turn your back on him. She always had a mind to settle this rivalry once and for all, and to do so in style.

Unfortunately, Talon wasn't going to make this easy, as usual. As Ahri made her attempts to farm from the enemy minions, the Noxion assassin would occasionally threw his blades at the fox as they retracted back to him, and they hurt like hell, especially when they returned on her. Ahri became more cautious of being too close to him, as she had already took a bit of damage from them. This also made it more difficult to catch up properly. Of course Ahri knew that Talon wasn't going to go down without a fight, which is actually just the way she liked it. This would made beating him all the more satisfying.

As soon as Ahri obtained level two, she had gain access to her infamous "charm" technique. It was time to fight back. Ahri continued to watch Talon closely, waiting for a clear opening while doing her best to avoid the blades. It took some time but the moment had finally arrive. Almost instantly, Ahri threw a reddish orb at her opponent in shape of a heart. If it were to land, any form or amount of hatred or distaste for the nine-tailed fox would be thrown out the window, and Talon would helplessly walk toward the woman like he wasn't even fighting her anymore.

...But for some reason, it didn't work.

Ahri was originally going to follow up with her deadly _Orb of Decapitation,_ but before she could realized the technique was a flock, it was too late. Talon quickly retaliated by lunging toward the fox with his blade clearly out, and before she knew it, everything went to darkness...

_First blood._

Several seconds later, Ahri was revived at home base, well-rested and completely healed, save for the dreaded grief of being the first one to 'die,' and a slight headache. Shortly afterwords, her ally, Riven had recalled right next to her and was seemingly more successful.

The concerned white-haired woman asked, "Are you alright?"

Ahri glared at her briefly, but eventually calmed down a little. "Yeah, you?" she replied. Her tone was less cheerful than it was earlier.

"I'm fine," Riven said with a faint smile. "I managed to get Gankplank thanks to Trundle's help, but Sejuani counter-ganked us so I barely survived."

"Good for you Riv," said Ahri with a hint of jealously.

As the fox woman headed back down the steps, Riven then asked, "Is Talon giving you a hard time?"

Ahri was almost offended. Having him beat her was one thing but she was sure as hell wasn't going to admit what just happen, so she remained silent and kept walking. As if Riven actually read her mind, she then added, "I'll see if I can get Trundle to help you as well, but I'm pretty sure he's still angry at you."

She turned around briefly and said, "Thanks, but I don't need his help. I promise this is the only one Talon gets." Ahri was very vengeful at that point.

"Be careful then," warned Riven as she headed back.

When Ahri got back to her lane, the enemy minions were mindlessly attacking the turret as it wiped them out, one by one, and Talon was already gone. During his absence, she thought about what happened; or rather, what _didn't _happen prior to her first death. Normally, when Ahri lands her charm ability on someone, they would fall into a mesmerizing affection for her and would usually walk towards her, as if they instantly fell in love with her. But it didn't work at all on Talon. This baffles Ahri on so many levels. She was certain it landed on him directly and it wasn't like he had immunity or anything. It just didn't worked. Why? It was beyond Ahri's comprehension.

She tried the move again on an enemy minion. This time, she aimed carefully before taking another shot, and even drew herself a little closer to it. Normally, this was considered a waste as minions don't pose a threat individually, but Ahri had to be sure. She cast the ability again but it was unaffected as will. To Ahri's horror, something definitely wasn't right.

Talon was 'missing in action' for an usually longer period of time. One can assume he merely went back to his base after defeating Ahri but normally, he would have been back shortly afterwards to maintain his lead. Regardless, Ahri was too distracted by her thoughts to even realize it. She hated the fact that her charm spell wasn't working. Was it a flock? Will it start working again on its own? Does her other abilities still work properly? All those questions were racing in Ahri's mind. So much that she almost forgot about the match itself. This would surely spell out trouble in the long run. And what would the others think? Ahri didn't even want to think about that.

Eventually, Ahri and her minions pushed toward the middle turret, but Talon was still missing. Where could he be? Surely, he wouldn't let Ahri destroy his turret that easily. By the time she thought about it though, Talon appeared seemingly out of nowhere and lunged himself toward Ahri again like he did last time. Since apparently, her charm doesn't work anymore, she used her spirit dash ability to escape from him. She'll be damned if she'd let him get another kill from her. Ahri used the first dash to draw the distance away from him. It looked like it was enough, or so she thought, as Sejuani, the Winter's Wrath appeared as well with her battle boar mount enraged as ever. The beast managed to ram the fox-woman as it quickly charged like a speeding bullet. It was enough to not only slow her down, but injure her as well. With Talon close behind, he lunged at the helpless girl again. This time with a fatal blow, granting him another kill.

Ahri was incapacitated, but still barely conscious. She can vaguely hear what her two rivals were saying as she waits for her next resurrection.

"I won't be needing your help anymore. This fox girl is just another enemy minion to me now," said the Blade's Shadow. "How's bot lane?"

"Looks like Lucian and Graves are neck and neck," replied Sejuani. "Gankplank on the other hand..."

"Why don't we give our new friend a hand then?" asked Talon. "We'll deal with Riven later. I have no problem killing her either."

The two then disappeared, most likely heading towards the bottom lane, where Lucian, Graves, Nami, and Taric are fighting. "Cr-crap," she mumbled. She can only imagine how this would turn out for the rest of her team. For the first time in what seem like forever, Ahri felt powerless. Not only was she clearly losing, but some, if not all of her powers weren't working properly. She has yet to test out her Fox Fire technique, but her Spirit Dash seemed to be working fine, for now at least. One of her biggest concerns though, it how her teammates would react towards the situation. She was already in poor terms with Trundle, but then again, he was always this easy to anger.

Ahri eventually respawned once again, still without a sense of accomplishment. Not only was things weren't going as planned, but she was near powerless. One of her abilities won't even work properly. This fact alone was what infuriated Ahri the most. So much, that she doesn't see herself winning without it.

A defeated Graves and Taric respawned as well shortly after Ahri did. Judging by their expressions alone, they don't seem very pleased. Ahri can sense it.

"Dammit, Ahri. What's the big idea feeding Talon like that?" scolded Graves.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" asked Ahri innocently. Clearly, she had an idea on what really happened down there, but was playing dumb as that point.

"Don't give my that crap, foxy. Just as Taric and I tried to escape, Talon came outta nowhere and finished us off." Graves looked at her angrily. "This is no time for games."

"Well maybe Taric wasn't warding properly," Ahri countered.

The Gem Knight merely looked down for a moment and scratched his head, but Graves replied, "Taric warded just fine."

Riven eventually recalled again just as the three were discussing. She was wiping off the last of the blood from her sword after her fight with Gangplank. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

Graves crossed his arms and simply glared at the swordswoman. "Well, me and Taric were doing fine 'til a fed Talon showed up and wiped us out. Sejuani attacked us as well. No thanks to Ahri."

"Why don't you chill out, old man." Ahri's tone was fairly calm but there was still a hint of anger. If there was thing Ahri hated, it was being blamed at, especially if it wasn't even her fault. In fact, had her charm had been working, she was fairly sure she would be beating Talon instead.

"Had you even gain a kill at all?" Graves asked. "Aren't you s'ppose to be the 'assassin?'"

Ahri was this close to finally test her Fox Fire technique on him, but Riven rushed in between them. "Stop it," she demanded. "Fighting each other doesn't win battles. You two are sounding just like the summoners themselves."

Graves continued to glare at the nine-tailed foxwoman, but slowly backed off, and Ahri did the same. The outlaw gunman wasn't worth it. There was still a battle going on and Ahri needed to caught up.

"By, the way... I wonder where the Troll King is," said Taric finally. As if it was on queue, Trundle respawned as well, angry as usual. "Dammit!" he yelled as he slammed his club on the ground.

"What happened?" asked Graves

"The stupid Gun Templar cheated, that's what! There's no way he can be that strong already!"

"You mean, 'Lucian, the Purifier?' That guy is clearly no joke. I admit, I am a _little _impressed."

"I agree," said Taric. "His skills were truly-"

"Don't, Taric," Graves interrupted. "I'm really not in the mood for that." For once, Ahri was at an agreement.

"Well," said Riven. "I think that since we're all here, we may as well come up with a strategy. But we have to do it quickly. They may us the opportunity to take objectives."

"The first bot tower is already gone and I know for a fact that they've slayed the dragon," said Graves.

"I'm beating Gankplank," said Riven. "And I don't think I've "died" once yet... I don't think."

"At least one of us is doing well," replied Graves. "Alright. We just go have to stick close together from now on. Trun, you're the front lines as usual. Riv, you might as well be the heroine of the group since your apparently the most fed. I'll stick close behind as deal as much damage as possible. And Taric, you know the drill, keep us alive with your heals."

"What about me?" Ahri asked finally.

"What CAN you do?" Trundle countered.

Graves signed heavily. "Just... stay behind us and don't do anything stupid," he said as he clocked his gun again. "Alright. Let's do this."

Ahri can't help but feel offended. Sure, she was significantly farther behind than the rest of the carries, but they made it seem like she was hopeless. To Ahri, this was unsettling. It wasn't her fault her powers weren't working properly. Then again, none of them seemed to know that. She had no intention of telling them either. Not yet. What would they say? Would they ridicule her? Think that she's weak? Ahri was not prepared for any of that. She'll just have to redeem herself some other way...

It was almost twenty minutes in. Purple team had already destroyed two towers, the first of bottom and the first of middle line. The blue team was winning by quite a bit, but not so much that made it one-sided. Ahri knew that these next few moments could make or brake the game. It was obvious to her that their first target was either Talon or Lucian, preferably both of course. Of course, Sejuani and Nami will stop at nothing to protect their allies. Sejuani had her durability and initiation and Nami had her heals just like Taric. Gangplank himself wasn't as much of a threat anymore. Riven seem to made sure of that. But that doesn't mean he should be ignored either.

The whole team then arrived at the middle line. They intend to destroy the first blue turret quickly, which should be possible at that point, but Talon was there again, seemingly alone. It was quite strange. Suspicious even. Even those he was clearly outnumbered, he was smiling. He glared at the other team as he signaled them to approach. As if he was daring them to attack.

"Something's not right," warned Riven. Ahri nodded, as if she agreed.

"Yeah... He's mocking us!" the Troll King yelled as he rushed in on him.

"Wait, you idiot!" shouted Graves.

But it was already too late.

As soon as Trundle got too close, Talon made a leap behind him, stabbing the enraged troll on the back multiple times. Surely, it wasn't enough to bring down the Troll King, but Sejuani and her battle boar quickly appeared out of the bushes and roamed him hard. Finally, it only took a few shots from Gangplank and Lucian to finally defeat him, granting Lucian another kill.

It all happened pretty fast. No one could help him even if they wanted too. Just as the troll fell, Sejuani charged in toward the rest of the purple team all while cannon balls rained down on them from the heavens with a sinister laugh, courtesy of Gankplank himself. Ahri was immediately pulled by Riven out of the assault and eluded the enemy team for now. Meanwhile, Gangplank reached in to kill Graves, but he, with the help of Taric of course, retaliated and shot him several times before he fell again, along with Graves himself by the deadly rain of cannons. Just before the outlaw collapse though, Graves fired a powerful shot of his own, completely passing Sejuani and on to Talon, as if it was his target.

"Now's our chance," Riven yelled, with her broken blade suddenly at its reforged state. Her eyes were dead set on the weakened Talon, and with a few simple slashes, finally shut down the Blade's Shadow. The swordswoman targeted Nami next with a windslash, followed by Ahri's Orb of Decapitation, granting her first kill finally. Ahri wanted to applaud her comrade, but there was no time for that now. The Purifier and the Winter's Wrath were left.

Both woman were very weak from Gangplank's cannon assault and Sejuani and Lucian were still healthy. Both the surviving blue team members looked at the remaining duo like they were about to finish them off. Somehow, Ahri knew that even if they try to escape, it would all be in vain as the two could easily catch up.

Lucian then aimed one of his dual-wielded pistols at the Nine-tailed fox. He then said out loud to her, "Nothing personal." As the dark-skinned man pulled the trigger, Riven almost instantly pushed Ahri out of the way, but in turn, receiving the shot herself, shutting her down as well. Ahri was on her knees for a brief moment. It took her several seconds to figure out what just happened. All she could think about now was was escaping while she had the chance.

As soon as the fox woman found a suitable hiding spot, she recalled back to her base, as Taric was already there, recovering from the previous team fight. Somehow, he managed to escape as well.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help to you, Ms. Ahri," said the Gem Knight.

Ahri rolled her eyes. "I just wanna surrender so I can go home and take my shower..." The fox was serious this time. A number of things went wrong today.

Eventually, the rest of the purple team revived, one by one starting with Trundle, then Graves, finally Riven. They all look legitimately displeased.

"You guys were no help at all!" Complained Trundle.

"No shit!" said Graves. "You're the one who got baited like a jackass."

"Can't we all just surrender, please?" moaned Ahri. "This is a huge waste of time."

Riven nodded. "I agree. Things aren't going according to plan. What do you think, Taric?"

"Yes," agreed Taric. "This is ruining my gems anyway."

Graves crossed his arms and sighed again. "If y'all say so. I'm getting tired of this mess myself."

Trundled groaned in his typical stubborn fashion. "No! We just need to try harder!"

"Save your breath, Trun. There's always another day," said Graves.

Almost on queue, the purple nexus suddenly self-destruct. Blue team became victorious.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, gang, what have we learned today?" asked Graves.

"It is much harder to deflect bullets with a broken blade," answered Riven.

"The Purifier, Lucian has proven to be an exceptional champion," answered Taric.

"A helpful leash is alright important for the jungler, _Ahri,_" complained Trundle.

"Talon is a jerk," complained Ahri.

"We all _know _that," said Riven sarcastically.

Of course, Ahri was too afraid to tell everyone what she'd _really _learned.

The Nine-tailed fox had just came back from the fields after a shameful defeat with her comrades. The blue team was clearly more organized and had the upper-hand, so the purple team was forced to surrender. Graves and Taric were for the most part, evenly matched by Lucian and Nami until Sejuani and Talon ambushed them. Riven did fairly well overall, especially against Gankplank but her efforts alone wasn't enough to win the match. Ahri had it the worse. Talon, the Blade's Shadow was refusing to hold back against the foxwoman and thus ultimately shut her down. Not only that, but it seems Ahri's powers are weakening. Her Charm ability didn't even work at all and it was looking like she was doing _less_ damage than usual. The latter had just ordered to Ahri. Her attacks on the minions and champions seemed less effective than usual. Just what in the world was happening? Why is this happening? Ahri was slowly getting more worried by the minute. What if word get out by this? The summoners will stop using her all together. Not to mention the other champions' reactions. She doesn't even want to think about it.

But due to the care-free nature of the Nine-tailed foxwoman, Ahri remained calm. Even a little optimistic. _"It's okay. Everything will be alright. As Lux always said, 'There's always light in the darkne__ss,'" _she thought. She would just get to the bottom of this quickly. There has to be a reason, and a way to reverse it.

Graves stretched his arms and let out a relaxed moan as if he was tired. "Well, it's been nice working with ya, fellas. Some more than others at least. I best be calling it an early day," he said. No one can blame him. 'Dying' over and over can be exhausting. "G'night."

"I should go too," Riven said. "I need to replenish my blade. Plus, I have to migrate to a new room so I have to prepare. Take care."

"My gems need reorganizing as well," said Taric. "I do hope the rest of your days are pleasant."

"Hmph!" Trundle groaned as he simply walked away.

Ahri was glad she was departing. She was tired as well, especially from the recent events that occurred. She wanted to take a shower before heading to bed. She wanted to start investigating the cause of her weakened powers tomorrow. Ahri was already planning to request the institute to not have her summoned until this was all fixed. The last thing she needed was to have anymore loses and mishaps due to her weakened powers. Yeah. It's probably for the best. The less people know about this, the better.

Before she can go back to her room though, Ahri needed a quick drink. She wanted to quench her thirst at the local institute bar where they sell all sorts of beverages and some food. She just hoped that she doesn't run into Talon though, in fear that he might ridicule her on her defeat. When she got there though, there was actually only a handful of random people. The only person she really recognize though was Emilia Leblanc, the Deceiver, and also the only other champion there. She was dressed in her usual, revealing get-up complete with her long cape and her staff. Ahri choose to sit by here at the bar table. She was one of the few people Ahri truly liked, let alone Noxians.

"Hey, Emilia," Ahri greeted. Most people were only allowed to call her by her surname, but Ahri was one of the very few exceptions. "One wine, please," she said to the bar tender.

"Hello, Ahri," said Leblanc, pleasantly as she drank the wine of her own. Ahri looked almost depressed. "What's wrong? It's not like you to be upset usually."

It was as if she knew there was something wrong with Ahri. Of course, this comes to no surprise, but it also worried her a little.

"N-nothing," she said. Normally, Ahri had no problem discussing her problems with her friends, but she wasn't ready to tell Leblanc exactly what happened yet. Not that Ahri distrust her or anything. It was just too embarrassing.

"Had a bad league match?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," she said honestly.

"Did Talon gave you any trouble?"

"Y-yeah..." The predictions were starting to scare Ahri. Could she have figured it out already?

"That's a shame," Leblanc said. "Then again, the Du Countau family had been known for their talents of death."

"But he's such a... Ugh, I hate him!" Ahri stopped herself from swearing, but was still somewhat frustrated with him.

"You can't blame him for wanting to win though. Everyone does." Leblanc was clearly showing a sign of comforting as she rubbed the foxwoman's shoulder.

"Yeah. People say he "counters" me, but I don't care. I'm not here to give him the upper-hand. He's not better than me."

"I don't particularly care for the man myself," Leblanc admits, "but you shouldn't let him get to you, no matter how much he aggravates you. You'll only give him the advantage if you do."

Ahri merely signed. She knew that Emilia was right as usual.

"It's not like this never occurred to me either. Teemo had the tendency of irritating me as well, even when he's on my team. He never seemed to take things seriously. Not to mention his childish behavior. My advice: just remain calm. Otherwise, it'll only hinder you in the long run."

"Sometimes, it's easier said than done," Ahri said.

"You'll have to try, honey. I always like it when you're more cheerful. I hate to see you upset."

Ahri smiled a little. She was slightly feeling better. "Thanks, Emilia. I can always count on you."

"I could never deceive _you_ my dear." Leblanc smiled as well, rubbing her shoulder again. "By the way, have you heard about what they're doing with the room accommodations in the institute?"

"No," said Ahri. "Do tell."

"With all the new champions and summoners moving in, they plan to have shared rooms from now on in fear of eventually running out of room in the future. Zyra is already moving in with me and I've heard Vladimir and Rengar did as while. I don't think it's the case with all of us though."

"Is that so?" Ahri asked.

"Yes," confirmed Leblanc. "I do hope you'll room with someone good though. I don't think you're compatible with Kayle."

Ahri sighed. This wasn't all that good news to her either. "I really hope so too. I generally preferred not to share."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually," said Leblanc.

Ahri finally took a few sips of the wine she just ordered. It was refreshing to say the least, and it made her feel even better, but only by that much. The weight of her distress was simply too great.

"Oh, one other thing," Leblanc suddenly added. "Fiora is currently recruiting cast members for the play she's directing. It's called "The Empress and her Butler.""

"Oh?" Ahri asked, somewhat intrigued. "What kind of play is it?"

"Apparently, it's a classic Demacion flock-tail about an Empress and her Butler falling in love. Something like that. She also hired Karma to produce the show."

"Sounds like fun," said Ahri, clucking. "I've never done a play before."

"I heard they still need someone to play the Empress," Leblanc continued. "If you play your cards right, I'm sure you'll be a shoe-in for the role."

"Is that so?" The idea had currently sparked the interest of the cunning foxwoman. This was surely something new to her. Ahri had seen a few plays in her lifetime, but never before had she thought about staring in one until that point. "When's the audition?"

"Just ask Ms. Fiora and she'll schedule an appointment," answered Leblanc as she drank the last of her wine. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Ahri was finishing the rest of her wine as well before answering. "I'm good for now. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, dear. It was nice talking with you as usual. Stay safe." Almost immediately, Leblanc vanished into thin air. Was she talking to her decoy? Oh well. It doesn't really matter to her.

* * *

The information that was giving to Ahri felt valuable. The former was somewhat unsettling to her though. Ahri wasn't too fond about the idea of sharing her room with someone else, or moving out from her own for that matter. She like her room the way it was. It was mostly decorated in Ionian fashion, mostly red with a bit of white and yellow, much like the dress she was wearing. It looked somewhat like it would belong in a palace, but not entirely. Her furniture looked pretty expensive though, especially since it had a bit of jewelry. Ahri was somewhat minimalistic. She'd truly hoped that she can at least get along with her new roommate, but would very much preferred if she'd continued to have her own room, as it would increase the chance of them finding out about her powers. If Ahri did had to have a roommate, Sona would be the best option for her, as she was also one of Ahri's _true _friends. Not only that, but she was also the only champion in the league that was mute, so even if Sona did find out somehow, she won't be able to tell anyone as easily.

Ahri can only hope she was that lucky.

As she approached her quarters, Ahri was noticing that her door was _almost _closed, but not quite. She could have sworn she had locked it before she left. Ahri immediately guessed that someone was in her room. Could it be an intruder? She wasn't entirely certain, but she remained cautious nonetheless. Ahri does not take kindly to intruders, no matter what their intentions might be. She certainly had no problem killing them if she had too, especially if they're thieves. Ahri was more than capable of doing this, but then she remembered that her powers were weakened. If the intruder was significantly more powerful, say, Mordecaizar for instance, she would be in trouble. Asking for help would seem like a better option. It would be less risky for Ahri, but it might also waste too much time, and also a little embarrassing. The foxwoman was used to take matters into her own hands. Plus, most league members don't trust her all that much anyway, so finding decent help in time would be tricky.

She decided that the best course of action was to confront the intruder with her Orb of Deception ready at hand. It may have lost some power, but Ahri was still confident in fighting this person or thing. She had to do this quickly, or risk having her valuables damaged or stolen. Ahri barraged in as if she was getting ready for a fight, only to what was inside just as quickly.

It appeared to be a woman with short, white hair. It was all too familiar for the Nine-tailed fox.

"Oh… Hello, Ahri," she said casually.

"R-Riven? What are you doing here?" she asked in utter shock.

"What does it look like?" she questioned.

"Wait… Don't tell me…"

The 'intruder' turned out to be Riven, the Exile, a noble swordswoman who wields a broken blade. There was no doubt in Ahri's mind that SHE will be living with her from now on. Ahri didn't know what to think of it. Riven was often considered, a quiet individual. Ahri really didn't know much about her. The only thing she _does _know is her "self-imposed" exile from Noxus and her involvement in its conflict against Ionia. In a way, she can't help but be somewhat wary about this. From what she has heard, Riven has fought and killed several Ionian soldiers in the past. Not to mention actually seeing her in combat. Riven has proven to be more than just a skilled warrior in the Fields of Justice. Ahri was always at least cautious when fighting against her. Riven's "Ki Blast" in particular practically made her vomit one time. Ahri generally does not care for most Noxians at all, beside Leblanc obviously, but has yet to form a true opinion on Riven.

"We're roommates now," Riven said bluntly. "Have you been informed?"

"I can see that," Ahri corrected. Ignoring the other woman's question.

"You don't seem very happy about this."

To some extent, Riven was right. Ahri doesn't know if she can fully trust her, but she was realizing that she can do a lot worse, like Sejuani for instance. Her boar might make a bit of a mess and the barbarian woman herself wasn't known for being delicate.

"Well, it could be worse," Ahri said honestly. "How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived," she answered. "They say it might be permanent. It depends on how many more people decide to show up before they can make more room."

"Oh joy," Ahri said sarcastically while sighing in grief. "Just make sure that oversize knife of yours doesn't scratched the walls or anything, okay?"

Riven crossed her arms and looked at her with her usual scowl. She seemed somewhat offended by Ahri's comments. "Look, I don't like it any more than you do. I know how it feels to have your solitude taking away, but we might as well get used to it. Personally, I don't really trust you. I know that you like to trick people, be it for you own personal gain or "just for fun." I generally don't like to play your games. I don't stand for them or your flirtatious habits." She then added, "And by the way, it's a _sword. _NOT a knife. There's a significant differences between the two. But you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Well _sorry,_" said Ahri. She rolled her eyes and countered, "Come to think of it, I don't trust you either, Ms. Exile. You Noxians aren't all that innocent yourselves, ya know." She was going to get into more detail about the incident in Ionia but decided not to.

"Don't you dare bring up the…" Riven paused. She was clearly somewhat angry based on her tone of voice but slowly calmed down, and instead made a sigh of relieve. "Nevermind. Clearly, that last match worked us up, huh?"

The foxwoman calmed down slowly as well. Riven was indeed right but that wasn't the only thing that bothered her. "Yeah. I swear, Talon takes pleasure in murdering people."

"Well so does Katarina," Riven grinned "Did he really give you a hard time?"

Of course there was more to it than that, but Ahri certainly doesn't want to tell Riven the full story. She was too embarrassed to even answer her truthfully, but would be unwise to straight up lie to her. Not this time at least. "Kind of," she answered simply.

"Well, that is to be expected," said Riven. "The Du Countau clan does not hold back."

"Neither do I," said Ahri. "Today just wasn't my day is all. Rest assured, I will have my revenge."

Riven grinned and crossed her arms again. "For your sake, I hope so. I don't particularly care for him myself."

Ahri watched as her new roommate started unpacking. It didn't look like Riven brought a lot from her old room. She hoped she didn't. Ahri didn't have a whole lot of room left. Plus, she was concerned that any Noxian decorations she may have had might not clinch well with her room design. Regardless, Ahri thought she might as well get used to the exile after all. It would be best to make sure she got along with her.

"Do you need some help?" she asked.

"I'm fine," replied Riven. "I didn't bring a lot with me. Just some clothes, some armor, some food... mostly the necessities, really. " She stopped briefly to look around for a bit. "You seem to have a lot of expensive stuff," she commented.

Ahri giggled. "A girl has to have her priorities, you know."

"They look nice, but all this seems a bit... much," said Riven. "I don't know. It's just me, I guess. I wonder how'd you afford all of this, anyway," she added, suspiciously.

It comes to no surprise to some that Ahri didn't obtain most of these things traditionally or even fairly, and Riven seems to be catching on. She realized the Exile is a bit smarter than she thought. Rather than try to deny it, Ahri said, "I have my ways."

"I'm sure you do," the swordswoman teased. "I'll just leave my clothes in my suitcase for now. There's still some stuff left from my old room, but I'll get the rest of them tomorrow."

Riven seemed to be had already gotten situated for the time being, and would likely be truly done by the end of tomorrow. So far, to Ahri's pleasant surprise, Riven doesn't seem to be all that bad. She currently doesn't share the ruthlessness some of the other Noxians have such as Darius or Draven, nor was she sadistic like Katarina or Cassiopeia. Come to think of it, during the last match she had with her, Riven was surprisingly pleasant compared to Graves or Trundle. The swordswoman could have easily leashed out on the fox just as both of them did, but instead, she seemed to looked out for her. She even sacrificed herself to save Ahri. Still, this was the merely the first day with Riven. Ahri wanted to wait to witness her true colors before she can even trust her completely.

"Good. I'm very tired now," she yawned. "I wanna go to bed." Ahri was originally going to take a shower beforehand, but due to Riven's sudden migration, she had to do it tomorrow.

"Fair enough. I'm tired too," she agreed. "Oh wait. We have to share your bed, don't we?"

Once again, the idea of sharing grieved her, but strangely enough, Ahri wasn't all that reluctant this time, of all things. Especially since Riven is also female. "I guess. It's quite alright though. We are roomies now after all."

"Actually, I'll just sleep on the floor for now," said Riven. "It'll be fine, really."

"Huh? Are you sure? It's really no bother," said Ahri. "I don't think the floor is as comfortable." Ahri then went behind her pink dressing screen and started changing into one of her night gowns as they discuss. The one she was putting on was less revealing than her usual get-up, but still showed a bit of her cleavage.

"I'm good, Ahri. I've been through much worse you know. Besides, your tails might get in my way."

"You sound like you actually _want_ to sleep on the floor," Ahri grinned. "You Noxions are so weird."

"Well... I don't want this to be a burden," replied Riven. "especially on the first night."

When Ahri was done, she saw Riven with her shoulder guard and waist guard off, merely revealing her stomach. Her saddles were also off of course. She can only guess that this is how Riven sleeps. Ahri didn't even bother questioning it in her head.

Ahri shrugged. "If you say so."

Riven already started laying down under the blanket she brought and lay her head on her pillow. Both women seemed to be ready to go to sleep. Ahri in particular may need it. She had a bit of plans for the next day.

"Good night," said Riven.

"Night, night," said Ahri.

The foxwoman snap her fingers, and everything went to black.


	3. Chapter 3A

It was almost 10 AM in the morning. The young and beautiful Ahri was slowly waking up after a sound sleep. Her night was well. She almost didn't want to get up, but there was much to be done. She had to get situated as soon as possible. Her reputation and perhaps even her life itself were at stack. Ahri had no time to lose.

She got up and got dress quickly. She had to skip most of her morning routine this time so she can get things started. All she really did was brush and tied her hair in her usual matter, and added a little bit of make-up. Normally, she would also take a morning shower and clean up, but that would only waste valuable time. She felt that she was already running late.

As Ahri prepared to head out, she quickly noticed her new roommate, Riven's absence. There was no telling where she might be. Ahri can only guess that she was either summoned or doing whatever it is she usually does at around ten in the morning. She didn't worry about it too much. Ahri had too many other things to deal with as it was.

She left her bed unmade and headed out. The first thing she had to was to request the institute to prevent her from being summoned. She had never actually done this before. For the longest time, Ahri had little problems with being summoned and participating in league events. To some extent, she actually enjoyed them. She enjoyed the thrill of using her power and cunning at its fullest against her enemies, and when things came accordingly, it was beyond satisfying. The hardest part though, was losing badly, and the feeling of death, like what happened yesterday. It doesn't typically happen too often, but it was enough to irritate her nonetheless.

But it was too risky to be participating with her weakened powers. Ahri would never win another match this way. Her Charm spell won't even work properly. To add insult to injury, it seemed like she had to put more effort and energy into casting them to begin with. Normally, it would be easy like it supposed to be, but it was almost like she was still learning how to even use spells. It was beyond bothersome.

She wonders if the other mages have this problem.

Ahri arrived at the main chamber where she would be speaking with the administrators of the institute. They were in charge of organizing the league and keeping the summoners and champions in line. Ahri was a little nervous. She had only spoken to them once before when she first joined the league, and that was a fairly long time ago. They seemed to be capable of greater power if they're able to keep all the champions in check. Perhaps if they wanted, they could easily destroy them all. Ahri wasn't entirely sure what they were truly capable of, and she wonders if she'll ever find out.

She was greeted by a mysterious bearded old man. It was too difficult for Ahri to even recognize him under that dark purple hooded robe. He looked higher class though as the robe was more dynamic. Ahri guessed he was one of the administrators. As he approaches her, he bowed respectively before her. "Greetings, Ahri," he said.

"H-Hi…" Ahri didn't know what to think of him. It was as if he thought she'd wanted to talk to him. Ahri clearly didn't. She just wanted to get this over with.

"I assume you wanted to speak with the administration?" he asked.

"Yes. I wish to exclude myself from any league activities until further notice." She decided to play it safe and act more formal than usual. It was a serious moment for her, and she didn't want to anger him.

"For what reason?" he asked.

Ahri paused for a few seconds, debating on whether or not she should tell him the truth. Then she vaguely, "I am unwell."

"Hmm…" The strange man fiddled with his bread and replied, "Very well. In that case, I'll see to it that you won't be seeing league matches involuntary. Is there anything else you would like to address?"

Ahri thought about it and almost said no, but she wonders if the man knows anything about the mystery of her weakened powers. She was still reluctant on telling him exactly what was happening, but she figured it might be helpful. What could go wrong?

"Is it unusual for mages to… have their abilities weakened, or even lost?"

"Hmm..." The man remained silent for several seconds, seemingly in deep thought. During that time, Ahri questioned to herself if it was even a good idea to ask him that. "That is a good question," he said finally. "Talent does not simply simply disappear just like that. It is possible though, that one's power can be weakened or silenced temporally via technique or artificially."

"Huh... Thanks. I was just curious."

"You are welcome, Ms. Ahri. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it. I'll be going now, sir."

"Very well then." The old looking man bow to her again respectively. "I bid you farewell then, my lady. I hope that you will feel better soon." He turned around and slowly vanished before Ahri's eyes.

_"Well that was easy," _she thought. Ahri was quite glad she was able to cross that off her to-do-list. Not only that, but the elder managed to shed a little light in the foxwoman's predicament. Perhaps someone or something was effecting her abilities in some shape or form, and it was supposed to be temporally, at least she hoped. Ahri wondered how long it supposed to last before the effect wear off. She truly hoped it was soon, if not this minute.

Ahri was going back to her room to resume her daily routine and think about what she could do next in private when she saw Katarina, the Sinister Blade passing by. She thought it was the perfect opportunity to test out her Charm spell again. The silence effect typically doesn't last that long. In fact, this was the longest it was supposed to last. Her powers should be returning to their full potential, she thought.

She aimed carefully at the red-haired woman before taking another shot. If successful, Katarina's thoughts should be about nothing but Ahri, and the woman would no longer be able to resist her, regardless if she even swings that way or not. Ultimately, it was a temporally love spell designed to throw the target off-guard.

Ahri threw her heart-shape orb at the woman and watched it land on her back. At that point, Katarina was supposed to fall for her. She turned around only to have an indifferent look on her face. There was no signs of interest for the foxwoman.

"Was that you?" asked Katarina.

_"Dammit!" _she cursed softly. Ahri knew instantly that it still doesn't work. This upset the Nine-tailed fox greatly.

"Y-yeah," she Ahri embarrassingly, scratching her head.

She was trying hard to think of a proper excuse as to why she was trying to charm her, but Katarina simply asked, "What do you want?"

Ahri forced herself to smile, but it was faint. She wonders if the other woman knew her true intentions. "I just wanna say hi. Hope I'm not a bother or anything."

Katarina grinned lively. It almost seemed like she was in a good mood. "No bother. It's nice to see you too, Nine-tails." She walked a bit closer to the foxwoman.

Ahri didn't really had much against Katarina as she did against Talon. In a way, Ahri kind of liked her, but she was fairly intimidating. Like Talon, Ahri always had trouble fighting against her in the fields, but they seemed to be more evenly matched if anything. She was well aware that the Du Courtou family were skilled assassins, and Katarina was no exception.

She then added, "Sorry about yesterday by the way. My brother can be a real bastard sometimes."

"He is," Ahri agreed. "I was just wondering how he can be dealt with."

Katarina shook her head. "As much as I like you, foxy, I'm not allowed to share my families secrets," she said.

"Of course," Ahri complained.

The Sinister blade grinned again. "Sorry, honey. Wait, aren't you roommates with Riven now?" she then asked.

"Uh-huh."

"If you want, I _can _tell you a little bit about her, though. I was once her superior, you know."

The kind of information Katarina was offering seemed quite useful. Ahri really didn't know much about her new roommate, and Riven was a little too quiet for Ahri's liking. It seemed like it would make sense to take up on the woman's offer.

"What can you tell me?" asked Ahri.

Katarina looked around her surroundings before proceeding. She then guided her to the nearest wall and leaned closer to Ahri. The red-haired woman spoke in a softer matter. "Well, I'm not gonna lie. Riven was actually quite the exceptional warrior of Noxus. Quite possibly one of the best even, I must admit. Besides me of course," she grinned.

"You don't have to tell me that," said Ahri in the same tone.

_"__Buuut," _said Katarina in a more sly tone._ "_she's also quite sensitive."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even back then, she couldn't take criticism that well if it was harsh enough. She didn't always take jokes well either. She was somewhat of a drone."

So far, Ahri was intrigued. She was learning so much already. "Go on," she said.

"Riven also developed a little sense of rebellion a shortly before she "exiled" herself. I remember her disobeying me once." Katarina then started grinning more lively again as she spoke. "Y-You know what I did to her?"

"No, what?" she asked eagerly.

"I pulled her down to my lap and started spanking her hard."

"Wh-what?!" Ahri then laugh hysterically. She found that to be all too hilarious. To have a seemingly strong warrior being punished like a mere child was just unbelievable. Ahri would have trouble forgetting this. "Th-that is so..." She soon had trouble finding the right word to describe it.

Katarina waited for Ahri to finish laughing before continuing. "Yeah. Normally, my punishments were a little more severe, but I was in a good mood at the time, and I felt like screwing with her. It _was_ pretty hilarious."

"I bet that taught her a lesson," tensed Ahri.

"Wanna know something else?" she asked.

Ahri remained quiet again and nodded.

"Rumor has it that Riven also... "flies that way," so to speak. In fact, I have a feeling that she actually had a crush on me at the time. I honesty don't really blame her," she grinned.

"Is that so?" Ahri asked, amazed by the information that was giving to her.

"Normally, that kind of stuff doesn't fly well in Noxus, but I personally have nothing against it. I kinda thought Riven was a little cute for a woman. Too bad she walked out on us," she said, crossing her arms.

"Huh. Interesting," Ahri smirked.

The foxwoman turned her head for a moment and suddenly noticed the Exile walking towards them now. A hint of worry chilled Ahri slightly, hoping that Riven didn't catch on their gossiping, or her affairs for that matter. Somehow, she thought it would go a little badly if she did.

"Oh, hi, Riven," said Ahri innocently.

"Hey," replied Riven.

Katarina looked at her as well and acted as if nothing happened between the two. "Nice to see you, Exile," she said.

Riven remained silent to the other woman and simply nodded at her, then looked at Ahri again. "If you don't mind, can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Sure," said Ahri. As the foxwoman was about to walk away with her, Katarina went close to her and whispered in her ear, "I'll be around for a bit if you want to talk some more."

The two walked for a little bit until they came around a corner in a less populated area, not too many other people walking by. Ahri wondered what exactly Riven wanted. Surely, she wasn't trouble already, was she?

"Did you sleep well?" asked Riven suddenly. "Feels different having another person in your room, huh?"

"I... slept fine," replied Ahri. "I honestly almost forgot we're roommates now."

"I see. But we are now, so..."

"Did you sleep well?" Ahri asked.

"B-barely."

"Well, you _were _on the floor and all. I figured it was a little uncomfortable. You're still welcome to share the bed with me," Ahri smiled.

"N-No," said Riven, shaking her head. "I'm fine for now. I'm used to it."

Ahri suspended that Riven was a little nervous about the idea, but decided to let it go. She can understand the reason to an extent, and she couldn't blame her. "Okay then."

"Oh, I thought you should know," said Riven. "I've been informed that there has been suspicion of some sort of collusion."

"Collusion?" asked Ahri.

"An act of conspiracy of some kind," she said. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

"No, Riven," Ahri said quickly. "You don't actually think I would stoop _that _low, would you?"

"I'm not trying to point figures or anything," Riven admits. "I was just wondering if you've seen any clues of the like."

Ahri rolled her eyes. "You should left all that stuff to Caityn," she said.

"I'm not all that concerned. I've just been told to keep a look out."

Ahri really didn't know about the whole conspiracy thing nor did she care. She thought that her powers were much more important. What was really on her mind besides her sudden weakness was Riven herself. She had already learned quite a bit about her thanks to Katarina, and that information could be put to use should she need to, especially the last bit. If what Katarina said was true, it may be possible for Ahri to seduce Riven without her Charm spell, and it would have been convenient.

Of course, Ahri wouldn't be so quick to actually do that right away. It wasn't because she was also female though. For the longest time, Ahri had only gotten her way with males, but had only realized she can get away with females as well not too long ago. It was somewhat intriguing in a way. Ahri was almost always willing to try new things. Riven wouldn't be the first on her mind though. She wasn't bad looking at all, but merely considered 'average' compared to most of the other female champions.

"Was that it?" Ahri asked.

"Yes, I believe. Oh, I also wanted to talk to you about our room accommodations, but we can save that for later," said Riven.

"Alright then. Oh yeah, you won't be seeing me as much in the fields anymore," admitted Ahri. "At least for the time being."

"Why?" the white-haired woman asked.

Ahri needed a moment to think. She knew she can't just use the same excuse twice. "I just needed a break, that's all."

"Oh, okay then. I can understand that," said Riven. "I could probably use a mini-vacation myself," she smiled faintly.

"Cool." Ahri then remembered about the play Leblanc mentioned. She was suddenly interested in trying out. "Come on, let's go find Fiora."

Riven raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"You'll see!" Ahri then pulled Riven by the arm gently as she willingly followed.

The swordswoman then asked, "Why do I had a bad feeling about this?"

* * *

**Arther's notes: I'm sorry my chapters keep getting shorter and shorter, for those who prefer longer chapters. I'm not trying to create a pattern or anything. xD **

**But anyway, I might wanna start having a beta reader from now on, because I don't want to get something horribly wrong in the lore, and there's always the possibly of spelling and grammatical errors too. I'm just a horrible typist in general. **

**Also, do you guys think I should alternate view points between Ahri and Riven's? I'm thinking about doing that in future chapters.**

**As always, reviews are much appreciated. I aim to get better at this. Thank you for your support. :D  
**


	4. Chapter 3B

Riven had gotten up a little before 9 AM, around one hour earlier than Ahri did. Her wasn't quite as pleasant, but that is to be expected when sleeping on the hard floor. It was also harder for the swordswoman to fall asleep. Not only did it take her longer, but she wake up mid-night at some point before driven back to slumber moments after. It wasn't just because of the discomfort either, but the fact that she was sleeping with someone else in the room, and it was Ahri nonetheless. Riven debated if she can even afford to let her guard down with her around, but she managed to get herself though the night. She also just tends to sleep better alone.

She slowly got up with a slight back-ache. Riven kept herself from complaining too much. She was used to discomfort at this point. It had been that way throughout her Noxian and exiled life. When she was a solider of Noxus, it was difficult to find comfort at all. Compared to what she had to go through, this was almost luxury to her.

Riven did little to gloom herself. She merely put her waist and shoulder guard back on and brushed her hair, then tied the back of it up like she usually does. She noticed Ahri was still sound asleep at the time so she grabbed her broken sword and walked out as quietly as she can. She was getting ready to start her morning routine.

As she was on her way to the training grounds, she eventually ran into Lucian and Graves and ended up walking together. They just so happened to walk the same direction as her.

"Hey… aren't you that swordswoman from the other day?" asked Lucian.

"…Yeah," said Riven, trying to be respectful to the new champion. "You fought against me as team blue, right."

"I believe so. Your skills were quite impressive in that team fight."

"Thank you." Riven smiled faintly. It was always nice to be recognized by her skill. "Yours were too, though I don't typically favor guns, or ranged combat in general."

Graves had his arms crossed causally. "Yeah, he wasn't as bad as I thought," he said finally.

"It was also quite noble of you to sacrifice yourself to save your fox friend," said Lucian.

"She did?" asked Graves. "Ahri wasn't even worth much. You practically gave him free gold."

"I guess I wasn't thinking," replied Riven. She really didn't know for sure why she did what she did. It wasn't like Ahri would be gone forever had Riven not save her. She knew that she was on a streak and if someone were to end it, that person would be rewarded significantly. However, Riven wasn't one to simply let her comrades die just like that. Not anymore. That much was certain.

"Well, it don't matter now," said Graves.

Lucian looked at her sword at head barely. "What kind of blade is that anyway?" he asked.

"It used to be a large bastard-sword," said Riven. "It's broken now."

"Really?" he said. "Interesting…"

"Yeah, Noxians are weird like that," said Graves.

They finally arrived at the training grounds. There were several rooms, specifically for each combat style. One was built for melee combat, which was Riven's desired location. There was also a shooting gallery for ranged and magic users, more likely were Lucian and Graves were headed, to Riven's speculation.

"It was nice seeing you, I suppose," said Lucian.

"Likewise. I hope the league is to your liking."

With that, Riven headed to the opposite room. From what she has seen, the Purifier doesn't seem to be all that bad, certainly someone Riven can tolerate, and she hoped that it would stay that way. The last thing she needed was another enemy. Then again, there was only a hand full of people she disliked personally, and Riven had little friends as well. Comradely wasn't something that Riven desperately needed or at least that's what she thought, but she generally wasn't a hateful person either, nor does she want to be.

So far, the place was seemingly empty. To Riven, it was a little welcoming, since she'll be having the place to herself for the time being. There was a bit of things Riven can do for her morning training, but for now, she decided to practice her skills on one of the training dummies.

She aimed her broken, but still lethal sword at the lifeless, humanoid dummy, which had be clearly used and in need of replacement eventually. She then made sure here blows were quick and accurate. Riven wanted to make sure she was well prepared for any future battles that may come, or at the very least, maintain her skill and health. Riven always had the desire to improve her strength, even after leaving Noxus. She hoped to use that strength in service of the greater good, and perhaps, if everything changes to her liking that she may one day return to Noxus reborn. If she is still welcomed there that is.

Her solitude was cut short however, when Darius, the Head of Noxus arrived moments later. Riven once respected him as her superior, but because of his growing ruthlessness and lack of respect for the Exile herself, she no longer cares for him at all. Riven would normally do her best to avoid him if she can help it, but this time, she didn't even bother. Riven figured that if he or anyone saw her simply walking away from him, she would only show fear of him, and Riven wouldn't want that.

Riven noticed Darius looking at her for a few seconds before he started practicing on the dummy next to hers. "Darius," she said, greeting him by name.

"Hmph. Traitor," replied Darius as he slashed at his dummy more brutally with his large axe.

The word, "traitor" was new. Usually, Darius would call her "the Deserter."

"Traitor, huh?"

"Those who are no longer with us, are against us," said Darius. "What you call "self-imposed" exile is nothing more than an excuse."

Perhaps Darius did have a point. No one excused her from Noxus by any means, so in a way, she _was _a deserter, but although Riven kept herself from being offended, she didn't want to be labeled as a traitor. It just wasn't the right word for her. Not to Riven at least. She just doesn't approve of what Noxus currently stands for anymore.

"I have my reasons, you know," Riven countered.

"What? Sympathy for the Ionians? War is not based on sympathy."

The swordswoman remained silent. Riven did want she did in the name of Noxus back then, but in turn, she later realized that she was commit acts of murder, terrorizing a nation that did nothing to her. She had been carrying that guilt ever since.

"You don't actually think the Ionians would respect you after what happened, do you?" asked Darius, expressing no signs for consideration for the people whatsoever.

Riven sighed faintly. It was as if he was trying to make her feel guilty all over again. "I'm... just trying to make up for my actions." It was slowly getting harder for her to find the right words. She suspected that Darius was doing this on purpose.

"What is there to make up?" he asked.

She choose not to answer. She had just about enough of Darius as it is. The sooner he goes away, the better.

As Darius was finishing, he performed his infamous "Noxian Guillotine" on the lifeless dummy with a powerful, downward slash, sliced the thing in half. Those who are unfortunate enough to actually be on the receiving end would normally be dead right then and there. It was difficult for Riven to watch even on an inanimate object. It was needlessly brutal.

The man stretched his arms a little as if nothing happened, then picked up his stuck axe from the floor. "One day, you will regret the decision you've made, Exile. I promise you that."

Darius then walked away, just passing Irelia like she didn't even exist. The Will of the Blades had already arrived as the two were talking. Riven barely noticed her until Darius finally left.

"Hello, Riven," said Irelia as she walked towards her. Her floating blades were following her closely.

"Hey," said Riven as she resumed her training. She was still a little bit irritated from her discussion with Darius.

"Forgive me. I overheard a little bit of your discussion as I walked in. Was Darius giving you a hard time?"

Riven shook her head gently. "I'm fine. Darius is like that all the time."

"Oh. That's good, I suppose." Irelia smiled faintly. "If it's not too much trouble, would you care to spar with me? I need to brush up on my martial arts."

Riven stopped attacking the lifeless dummy and nodded. She could use the opportunity to brush up on her martial arts as well. "Sure. That sounds like a good idea."

The two set their blades down next to each other and then step into an empty square shaped arena that was reasonably sized. Interestedly enough, Irelia was not only Ionian, but her county's proud protector, yet Riven had a good deal of respect for her as her rival. The two had a well establish relationship despite what Riven has done to her people, which was surprising. Irelia was one of the very few people that were considered a 'friend' to her.

Both woman formed up a fighting stance and began striking at each other left and right. Riven was careful not to hurt the other woman too much and Irelia did the same. The two were mainly parrying each other's attacks while occasionally evading one another. Irelia was slightly more skilled however, but only because of the culture she grew up in. Riven mainly focused on her swordsmanship back in the day.

As the two were sparring, Irelia said, "You've improved."

Riven smiled as she was breathing. "Thanks. I've been practicing a little."

"So I've heard you're rooming with Ahri now, is that correct?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Wasn't she originally an actual fox?"

"I believe so," confirmed Irelia. "I don't think she fully understands what it means to be human though."

"What do you mean?" asked Riven as she barely dodged one of her kicks.

Irelia stopped for a brief moment. "You see, because Ahri is so beautiful, she had taking full advantage of men over the years, especially with her powers. From what I've seen, Ahri has been, for the most part, carefree, so to speak. I honestly don't know if she even discovered the feeling of lost, sympathy, or even emotion pain yet."

"That wouldn't surprise me," said Riven.

Irelia resumed her sparring. "Even though Ahri may have done… bad things, I don't think she is truly evil. Most people might look down upon her for her constant tricks, but I merely believe she's in search of something…"

"What do you think it is?" asked Riven.

"I can't be certain," said Irelia. "I would just keep an open mind, but still remain cautious. There's no telling what the Nine-tailed foxwoman has in store."

As Riven collected her thoughts, she was suddenly stroke by a fist in her face by her opponent. The careless swordswoman stumbled backwards dazedly from the blow. Nothing was damaged, but it hurt like hell.

"Gah!"

"Riven! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to harm you. I figured you would block it or something."

The white-haired woman had her face covered, but she recovered shortly after. "It's… it's alright. I'm fine. I had it coming anyway."

Irelia leaned closely to her to examine her face briefly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I wasn't focused. If anything, it merely did some justice."

"What are you…? Oh." Irelia then sighed heavily. "Riven, I told you once before. I don't blame you for what happened in Ionia anymore. What's done is done."

Riven remained silent. It wasn't the way that she saw it.

"Don't let Darius or anyone else get to you," she continued. "The path of redemption is a long, but worth-while journey."

The Exiled scratched her head. "It's amazing how you can easily forgive."

"I'm not one to hold grudges," said Irelia. "Especially to those who are trying to improve. We all make mistakes."

Riven had catch her breath and picked up her sword. "Thank you, Irelia. Your kindness knows no bounds."

"Anything for a friend," she smiled. "Oh! One other thing I should mention before I go…"

"Hmm?"

"Caityn had told me that she has reason to believe that there may have been some form of collusion."

"Collusion?" Riven asked cautiously.

"Yes. There may be a conspiracy going on."

A conspiracy? This was both intriguing and displeasing to the Exile. "Really? Should I be worried?"

"I don't think so," said Irelia. "I asked the same question and apparently, Caityn said she and Vi got it covered. If "the off chance" that they _need _help from us, they'll ask."

"Still, a possible conspiracy is very serious."

"I know, but Caityn always preferred to take matters into her own hands. She seemed to be concerned that we might only get in the way."

"Makes sense. I guess..." Riven can't help but still be a little concerned. For all she knew, lives could be at stake. Just what in the world is going on?

"Well... I have to get going," Irelia said. "I'm due to get summoned any moment now. Thanks for the spar." Her magical flouting blades returned to her on their own.

"No problem. I hope you win," smiled Riven.

Irelia grinned faintly. "It all depends on my summoners, and their team, you know. I just hope they're at least experienced."

With that, the Will of the Blades had left the training grounds, followed by Riven herself. She had learn a little bit more about Ahri. At first, Riven had very mixed feeling on rooming with the foxwoman. She was well aware that Ahri was known for her mischievous trick and attitude, and may have even committed crimes of her own. But according to Irelia, it may be possible that Ahri was also misunderstood. That she was merely trying to understand what it means to be human. And in a way, so was Riven, as strange as it may sounds.

Riven decided to end her training early and find Ahri, who perhaps may still be in their room. Riven felt the need to tell her new roommate about the conspiracy, as warning if anything. There may be a possibility that Ahri might get hurt, and Riven doesn't want that. As a roommate, Riven felt it was her duty to look after her. To inform and protect her from any possible dangers. Otherwise, what kind of person would she be?

Then the white-haired woman started to wonder, if Ahri would do the same...

As Riven was on her way back to her room, she suddenly noticed Ahri and Katarina on the opposite direction. They seem to be hanging around for a bit, perhaps gossiping, Riven assumes. She wondered briefly what they may have been talking about, but it doesn't seem as important.

"Oh, hi, Riven," she the Nine-tailed fox.

"Hey," said Riven.

"Nice to see you, Exile," greeted Katarina.

Riven merely nodded at her. Because of the red-haired woman's sinister actions, Riven did not care for her as much either, but to her, she wasn't as bad as Darius, but only slightly.

"If you don't mind, can I talk to you for a bit?" asked Riven to Ahri, hoping to get away from the Sinister Blade. She was in no mood to deal with her either. Not after Darius.

"Sure," said Ahri.

Riven lead her roommate to someplace they wouldn't get as much attention. She didn't want any interruptions. She wants to make sure they were both safe, and for Ahri to _feel _safe. This sort of information may come to a shock to her.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Riven, approaching a more pleasant start. "Feels different having another person in your room, huh?"

"I... slept fine," said Ahri. "I honestly forgot we're roommates now."

"I see. But we are now, so..."

"Did you sleep well?"

"B-barely," replied Riven half honestly.

"Well, you _were _on the floor and all. I figured it was a little uncomfortable. You're still welcome to share the bed with me," Ahri smiled.

The foxwoman seemingly said that almost sadistically. Somehow, Riven felt a nervous chill when Ahri made the offer. "N-No," said Riven, shaking her head. "I'm fine for now. I'm used to it."

It wasn't like Riven actually preferred the floor over a bed, but something was keeping her from accepting the offer. There could be a number of reasons, but Riven couldn't pinpoint which ones for some reason. To her though, in mainly felt weird.

"Okay then," Ahri said.

"Oh, I thought you should know," said Riven finally. "I've been informed that there has been suspicion of some sort of collusion."

"Collusion?" asked Ahri.

"An act of conspiracy of some kind," she said. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

"No, Riven," Ahri said quickly. "You don't actually think I would stoop _that _low, would you?"

Knowing Ahri, that _would _making a little bit of sense. But Riven wasn't quick to actually accuse her of anything. It wouldn't be fair, even to Ahri.

"I'm not trying to point figures or anything," Riven admits. "I was just wondering if you've seen any clues of the like."

Ahri rolled her eyes. "You should left all that stuff to Caityn," she said.

Riven began to question in Caityn could even solve this.

"I'm not all that concerned," she lied. "I've just been told to keep a look out."

"Was that it?" Ahri asked.

"Yes, I believe. Oh, I also wanted to talk to you about our room accommodations, but we can save that for later," said Riven. That was her other big concern since she moved in. She was thinking about setting some ground rules, and wondered if Ahri had any of her own, besides scratching the walls with her sword of course.

"Alright then. Oh yeah, you won't be seeing me as much in the fields anymore," said Ahri. "At least for the time being."

"Why?" asked Riven.

"I just needed a break, that's all."

"Oh, okay then. I can understand that," said Riven. "I could probably use a mini-vacation myself," she smiled faintly. In a way, the swordswoman can relate.

"Cool... Come on, let's go see Fiora!"

Riven raised an eyebrow. What does Fiora have to do with anything? "For what?" she asked suspiciously.

"You'll see!" said Ahri. Riven can suddenly feel herself being pulled by the foxwoman. Just what was she planning this time?

The swordswoman then asked, "Why do I had a bad feeling about this?" It was as if she _knew_ she wasn't going to like it.

* * *

**AN: I've decided to alternate POVs between Riv and Ahri however I see fit. There won't be a specific pattern, but I will try to keep it as consistent as possible. I do hope it turns out well.**

**I'm going do do something crazy and let you guys vote on which viewpoint I should do next, since the next chapter can go either way. I just thought it might be interesting for you guys. I won't likely do this again for at least a while though, lol.  
**

**If I can get at least five or so votes by say... August 8 or something, I'll start deciding. If not, I may do it on my own.  
**


	5. Chapter 4

Riven felt like she was being magnetically pulled against her will, even though Ahri wasn't holding her that tightly and pulling her all that hard. It seemed like the foxwoman merely wanted Fiora for something and for whatever strange reason, wanted Riven to be involved. The swordswoman can only assume this is another one of Ahri's usual 'schemes.' The Nine-tailed foxwoman was infamously known for her cunning tricks, usually in a seductive manner. Come to think of it, both Riven and Fiora were swordswomen. It was something Riven suddenly remembered just about they got to Fiora. Does it mean anything?

"Hold it," said Riven finally, freeing her arm from Ahri's clutches. She was suspecting this was also another trick in some shape or form.

"What?" Ahri asked almost innocently.

"What are you planning?" asked Riven calmly.

Ahri giggled slightly. "Nothing bad or anything... this time. I thought I had something fun planed."

Riven rolled her eyes. "I thought I told you before, I don't like your ideas of "fun." Now tell me what's going on."

Ahri's usual smile was drifting. "Do you ever have fun at all, Riven?"

Riven was silent for a moment. She didn't know how to answer that or know if she was even expected to. "Fun" wasn't always in Riven's vocabulary, if at all. She usually felt as though it wasn't important or irrelevant, but then again, she didn't feel as though she had the time of "fun." Just as Riven was straggling to find the answer, Fiora had suddenly approached the two, almost as if she had caught wind of Ahri's "plan."

"Ladies," greeted the Grand Dualist.

"Oh hi, Fiora!" said Ahri.

"Hey," said Riven, clearly expressing less enthusiasm.

"What brings you to these parts?" Fiora asked.

Ahri walked closer to the Demacion woman. "Is it true that you're directing some kind of play?" she asked.

Fiora grinned slightly. "As a matter of fact, I am. It is called, "The Empress and her Butler," an old Demacion love story about a woman and her loyal servant. Why do you ask?"

"Leblanc said you're still in need for the two protagonists. We were wondering if we could possibly fill in that gap."

"Hmm. Interesting. If you think either of you have what it takes, then come this way," said Fiora.

Riven pulled Ahri gently. She knew she wasn't going to approve as easily. "Wait, who's "we?" Are you suggesting that we should audition for a play?"

"Come on," Ahri argued. "it'll be fun! Oh right, apparently, you hate fun. I guess it's a common trait for you Noxians. Or maybe..."

"What?" Riven asked.

Ahri spoke softer. "You're scared, aren't you?"

The white-haired woman raised a brow. It almost felt like she was mocking her. "What are you talking about? I never even acted before."

"You're scared to even try," said Ahri. "You're worried that you might get rejected."

"Well... I know I won't get accepted because I never acted in my life. It would only be a waste of time."

"You're scared," Ahri simply countered.

Riven was slowly getting irritated. "I am _not _scared."

"Prove it then..."

To Riven's despair, she knew Ahri was going to say that. She really didn't want to participate in this so-called "play." Riven was never interested in them. She could never get into them. Their wasn't as much play in Noxus, but some of them were quite offensive, one of which made fun of Ionia, and the one about Demacia was even worst.

The one Fiora was taking about was apparently about romance, from Riven's speculation. The genre in particular did not interest her. She didn't find those type of stories entertaining. Riven was not the "lovey-dovey" type. The fact that it was a Demacian play was even worst. Even though Noxus and Demacia were natural enemies, unlike most Noxians, Riven had no grudge against them personally. She even felt that the whole conflict is pointless. What worried her though was that by working with the Demacians, she would be labeled as even more of a traitor than she always was.

Despite all of this though, Riven caved in. To her, being labeled as a coward was much worst. She normally wasn't one to back out of a 'challenge' either, which was another weakness she was just discovering.

"Alright. I'll accept the challenge, but I still think this is pointless," said Riven. It almost felt like she had no choice in the matter.

Fiora merely stood there in the background. It seemed like she was barely listening to there agreement. "Are you coming, ladies?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're coming," replied Ahri, pulling on her roommate's arm once more. Much to Riven's displeasure, she follows.

Fiora lead the two girls into a seemingly empty, dark blue theater. It was fairly dark, but not too dark to a point were they couldn't see. The seats looked fairly comfortable enough from the audience to sit and the theater was big enough to fill in half the institute. Riven didn't actually came here often though, so the environment was a little new to her. When she did however, it was usually for business. She was never really a theater person so to speak. The swordswoman never had the time nor the interest.

"Truth is," said Fiora." "I've already had quite a few auditions for this play and I'm quite satisfied with my choices. If you think you can out-shine all the others before you, I will give you one chance."

"Is that so?" asked Ahri.

"Yes. I will give you each one line and one action based on the character you wish to assume the role. From there, Karma and I will judge you based on your performance."

"All it takes is one line and action?" asked Riven.

"Well, it depends on how important your role is, really. That is how we judged those before you. Sometimes though, I might end up providing a different role for you if I do accept you."

As the three woman were walking towards the stage, Karma was approaching them. "Greetings, ladies," she said with a respectful bow.

"Hello, Karma," replied Fiora. "We have two more potential actress here for auditioning."

"Ahri and Riven? I never would of guess you two had an interest for acting."

"Neither did I, but let us give them a chance. I am interested to see what they have to offer."

"Very well then. Which of you would like to go first?"

Before Riven could react, Ahri almost immediately forced her left hand up in the air, waving it around as if she was raising her hand to volunteer. "I think Riven wants to go!"

Ahri was wrong and she knew it. Riven doesn't even want to participate, let alone go first. The only reason she was even here is because Ahri used the _fear_ card on Riven, and it worked. But she soon regretted her decision and realized that proving her bravery was no longer worth the trouble.

Riven snatched her hand away from Ahri and said, "Would you excuse us for a moment?" She then pulled Ahri by the arm and took her several feet away from Fiora and Karma.

The white-haired woman looked at her roommate beyond annoyed. This was getting out of hand at this point. "Okay. What's the deal with you?"

Ahri shrugged. "I just thought it would be fun for us."

Riven rolled her eyes. "Maybe for you, but I personally don't even want to do this. And you know what? I don't care if you call me a coward. This whole thing is way beneath me."

"You think everything is beneath you, don't you?"

"Well... I..." Riven didn't know how to answer that properly. It was common for Noxians to have that sort of mindset, but Riven did not. Not anymore at least.

The foxwoman then formed a smile, as if they'd stop arguing. "Tell you what, Riv. If you do well on this, I will grant you one favor."

"One favor?" Riven wanted to be sure if Ahri was was making the same suggesting she was thinking. "As in, I can ask you to do something for me, and you'll do it?"

"Yep. Almost anything I should say! I'm not that crazy, you know."

Riven can already tell that Ahri would not do a good amount of "favors" for her that she might suggest unless she accepts this sort of offer. It wasn't in Riven's nature to accept this sort of offer though. If there was something that Riven really didn't want to do, which includes this play, she won't do it, even for a trade-off. On the other hand, Riven can really make use of this favor Ahri spook of. There was already a number of things Ahri can do for her, save for a few exceptions obviously. And if Riven was going to live with Ahri, it would be a good option to have.

After a little moment of thought, Riven said, "Alright. I'll give it a shot."

"Awesome! Knock 'em dead, tiger."

"Yeah, sure..." Riven was unenthusiastic, but she was willing to at least try now.

She walked back to the two other women with Ahri close behind her, then finally said, "I'll go first."

"Alright then," said Karma, smiling. "If you would just follow me on stage..."

Riven followed the Enlighten one on the center of the stage. From there, is was almost as if she was on top of a building, because she can see the whole auditorium from here, and it felt higher than usual. Not only that, but everyone who would be part of the audience can see her, which made Riven uneasy. She was already discovering the feeling of 'stage fright.' Riven never understood it until now. People would be watching her every move, and she hated being watched, especially by hundreds of people. Again, the Exiled regretted her choice, to a greater extent. But it seems like her chances of backing out this time had come and gone.

Karma asked, "Are you prepared, Ms. Riven?"

Riven sighed, scratching her head. "Not ready..."

"It's quite alright. I know the feeling. Just relax and keep calm. There's no real danger here..."

"Alright, Riven," Fiora yelled from one of the many seats of the theater. "What role do you wish to partake? I assume the Empress, correct?"

Riven didn't really care what she played at that part. She just wanted this whole thing over with. "Yeah..."

"Pardon?" asked Fiora. "You need to speak louder so that everyone can hear you, honey."

"Yeah!" repeated Riven more loudly. Her uneasiness combined with her natural, soft voice hindered her speaking.

"Good, good. Karma will then start giving you instructions to follow."

Riven sighed. She wasn't in the mood to raise her voice, nor does she like it. Apparently though, it seems like it was a requirement as well in regards to the play itself. It was slowly becoming much for the Exile. She wonders what else actors had to go through.

"Alright," said Karma. "I want you to pretend that I am an older, but handsome man dressed up in a suit. We are at a ball hosted by your wealthy father. First, we will begin dancing..."

"Dancing?" asked Riven. "I should warn you, I can't remember the last time I 'danced.'"

"It's fine, dear." Karma grinned. "As long as you're not flip flopping around, you should be okay."

"What else?"

"As we go along, I will say a few lines that the butler, the character you're dancing with mind you, would say. Try to respond that only the Empress would."

Now Riven was a little worried. Was she expected to be somewhat familiar with the play even when auditioning? She knew nothing about the character she was suppose to potray.

"Oh... I should also point out that I'm unfamiliar with Demacian plays in general, let alone this one."

"The Empress, Sora, is generally a kindhearted, elegant noblewoman who merely wishes to peruse a life of happiness in her already fortunate life. Despite living a life of luxury, She had been depressed for quite some time, and felts that something is missing..."

"And that is...?"

"Someone to share it with. In her case, it is the love of one of her own servants."

This just gets worst and worst. Apparently, Riven, or the character she was playing rather, is without a doubt, suppose to be in love with some guy, most likely an aged man even. The whole thing was already crossing Riven's boundaries. She was even tempted to just walk away, but the feeling of cowardliness that Ahri tried to brag to her was returning.

Riven sighed lightly again, but remained calm and said, "Alright... I think I understand now..."

"Are you sure?" Karma asked. "I'm willing to full you in as much as possible."

"Yes, thank you, Karma. Let's just get this over with."

"Very will then. Let us begin." With that, Karma formed a respective bow in front of her partner, more-or-less typical of a nobleman. Riven rolled her eyes and formed a pretend curtsy, something she doesn't do often, but she figured it was her queue to get into character. This was already embarrassing.

"May I have this dance, my lady?" asked Karma, who is now assuming the role as the butler.

"Oh-of course," said 'Empress' Riven, or Sora rather.

Riven then took Karma by the hand and waist and started an elegant and smooth dance, slowly moving each other around on stage. Riven made sure her steps were precised and not on Karma's feet while maintaining the appropriate posture. Riven wasn't an experienced dancer so she was extra careful not to screw up, though Karma was taking the lead and was doing a pretty good job at it, so it wasn't entirely that hard.

"You dance will, my lady," said Karma in character.

"Thank you," said Riven. "You're quite talented yourself."

"And you look extra exquisite in this particular evening." Karma formed a pleasant smile. "Then again, you are exquisite each day, Lady Sora."

"You are a handsome man yourself," said Riven, trying her absolute best to maintain a straight face. "but flattery will get you nowhere."

Karma grinned, or was that in character? It was hard to tell anymore. "I suppose you're right, Ms. Sora. Forgive me if it seems like I'm flirting."

"It's quite alright," said Riven in character. "I seem to get that a lot anyway. But I appreciate the compliment."

"And I appreciate yours," said Karma. "I do hope this doesn't seem strange seeing as how I am your butler."

"Again, it's alright. I'm glad you of all people are working for me, and it is nice dancing with you."

"And it is an honor working for you, my Lady."

Fiora then stood up from her seat. "Annnd, cut!" she shout suddenly, then slowly started clapping. "Bravo, Riven. That was good."

The two women stopped dancing and grow out of character with Fiora's signal. _"Well, that was quick," _Riven thought, though she didn't complain. She was fairly glad it was over before she knew it, though it wasn't quite as unbearable as she originally thought.

"Thanks," said Riven. "Is that really it or..."

"Yes, that was it, thank you. Now it's Ahri's turn."

"Okay then!" said Ahri eagerly.

It was clear that both Ahri and Fiora had been watching them this whole time. Though it was only two people, the fact that people were watching her preform like that wasn't entirely easy. Riven wondered what her two viewers really thought of her performance. There was no way of telling. For all she know, they probably thought it was lackluster. Laughably even. Though it wasn't a pleasant thought, Riven eventually stopped caring all together. Who cares what they think of it? She wasn't an actress nor does she planned to be.

Riven then seat down, close to where Fiora was and watched as Ahri prepares for her audition with Karma. The female dictator then said, "I assume you are trying out as the Empress as well, yes?"

"Mhm," Ahri nodded.

"Alright. You will play out a different scene entirely. Remember. You are the Empress and Karma is the butler? Understood?"

"Understood," confirmed Ahri.

"Good. Do as Karma tells you and try your hardest. Oh! One other thing:" Fiora's voice became more stern at that moment." don't even think about using your charm spell. That would be beyond cheating."

Ahri groaned. "I won't..."

Karma gave out the instructions to Ahri just as she did with Riven before. The two had a brief discussing, out of character of course, before they actually started. Much like Riven's audition, Karma explained to her what to do and Ahri asked a few questions, though none of that really mattered. Only Ahri's performance compared to Riven's.

"My lady," said Karma, assuming the role as the butler once again. "My I... have a word with you?"

Ahri was facing away from Karma, seemingly striking some kind of pose as she stand from the ways up. It wasn't anywhere near over-the-top, but it was noticeable. "Yes, my loyal servant?" she asked almost seductively, as Empress Sora.

"It-it is a little uneasy for me to say this... In fact, I have trouble just by thinking about it alone. I have been keeping this secret for quite some time." Riven was just noticing the sense of emotion in Karma's lines. They seemed almost real. She can tell that the butler was fairly more nervous than he was previously. Karma seemed good at this acting thing. Riven was a little impressed.

"Oh, do tell," said 'Empress' Ahri in the same tone.

"Well... I would like to point out that it has been an honor serving you. Truly. In all my years, there has been no one I would rather work for. In fact, I would not stop serving you even if I'd stopped getting paid. This privilege means so much to me..."

"How touching," said Ahri, casually.

"Even if you'll think less of me, I will continue to serve you, if you so desire, that is..."

"Please get to the point already."

"Well... what I'm trying to say is..." Karma paused for a few seconds. "You are desire to me... I love you."

"Oh... I love you too!" said Ahri as she hugged Karma the 'butler,' clearly acting.

"Cut," shouted Fiora once again. This time, clapping more slowly. "Thank you Ahri. You may step down now.

"Okay. How'd I do? Did I made the cut?" asked Ahri as she left the stage.

"You'll find out shortly, dear," answered Fiora.

Riven can't help but to ask, "How'd she really do?"

Fiora leaned close to the Exile for a whisper. "Honestly, not as good as you."

_Not as good as her. _She can't be serious. Riven didn't even think she did that good herself, and according to Fiora, Ahri did even worst. Was her performance really that bad? Riven wasn't certain. It was difficult for her how well someone acts, and she didn't think she would ever get the idea. She wasn't interested in the sightless.

Ahri and Karma walked at the side of the theater with Riven and Fiora there. "Alright, ladies," said Fiora. "come back here tomorrow to see if you've made the cut. We truly appreciate your effects. You are both dismissed."

"I hope the rest of your day is pleasant," said Karma. "If you'll excuse us, we have work to do. Any additional questions before we part?"

"No," said Riven.

"Same," said Ahri. "It was fun. See ya later."

"Bye, bye," replied Karma.

The two roommates then head back to their dorm, still with the evening ahead of them. Riven thought about want Fiora had said to her some more. She couldn't help but to feel a little bad. Unlike her, Ahri seemed more interested in this play, yet to Fiora, her performance was... sub-par at best. Riven still couldn't tell entirely what Ahri did wrong, but couldn't tell what she herself did right either, if at all. The swordswoman wasn't trying to look too deep into it, but what concerned her was telling Ahri herself. She didn't know how the foxwoman would feel. Jealous? Offended? Worried? Those were just speculations. Either way, Riven was quite sure Ahri wouldn't be happy, but in the end, she might want to know, and Riven figured that she should tell her.

"Hey Ahri?"

"What is it, Riv?"

"It's about the auditions..."

"Huh? Oh, you did fine, Riven."

"Well, thanks, but that's not what I meant."

"Hmm? Oh that favor. Right..."

"We-we'll talk about that later. What I'm trying to say is... you might not... Wait, I'm being summoned, aren't I?"

"Good luck," Ahri said, waving.

Withing an instant, Riven was transported to the Summoners' Rift.

* * *

The match went smoothly for Riven this time. The final score was 15-3 in her team's favor. The enemy blue team ended up surrendering in a little over 23 minutes. Riven had four kills, three of which towards her enemy laner and one for the jungler. She didn't die once, though she was thankful she had a decent summoner this time. She couldn't say the same for Master Yi though, who was generally less fortunate. All and all, she was grateful to have such flawless victory, even after the day she had.

Riven stretched her arms and legs and then got herself something to eat at the diner. She then headed back to her dorm. The swordswoman was just about ready to call it a day, especially after the events that had happened. She hoped Ahri was there. Riven had the means of talking to her about some ground rules.

Just as the white-haired one was getting close to her room, Master Yi was close behind. "Riven. May I have a quick word?" he asked.

Riven turned around to the Wuju Master. What could be possibly want? It wasn't often for the two to speak casually. Last time she checked, the man did not care for her unlike Ireila, mainly because of what the Noxians did in Ionia and Riven's involvement. She'd usually tried to avoid him if she could help it because of this, but if Master Yi of all people wanted her for something, it must be important.

"What is it?"

"Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on your victory back at the Summoners' Rift, though I might admit, my partner was somewhat inexperienced."

"It's not like you to 'congratulate' me of anything, Yi."

"Well, true, but I am in a fair mood. Tell me, is the Nine-tailed Fox your roommate?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, according to Ireila, there has been some form of collusion going on..."

"Yeah, she told me that too. What about it?"

"Has the foxwoman done or said anything suspicious to you yet?"

Riven was remembering the conversation she had with Ahri about it. From what she remembered between now and her room migration, she could not recall anything in the matter, and when Ahri denied any sort of involvement, she took her word for it. "No, she hasn't."

"Ah. Then I should ask you, keep a close eye on her. I believe you know as well as I do about her tricks. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if she really was involved."

"She said she doesn't even know a thing about it," claimed Riven.

"That is what she might want you to believe," said Yi "If you truly don't want anything bad to happen, I suggest you do something about it should she try anything."

"I'm guessing you're suspicious about her then..."

"I am. I'm merely telling you this for the sake of the league. Behind that seemingly charming exterior lays a deceitful animal."

"I'll keep that it mind, thank you."

Master Yi then walked away silently. Could Ahri really be up to something? Riven wasn't entirely sure anymore. She was not ready to confront her roommate about it again just yet. Riven wanted to be absolutely sure first. Ahri was innocent until proven guilty.

* * *

**AN: I'm sorry for the sudden gap between chapters. I didn't mean to make you guys wait for too long.  
**

**First, I decided to take a huge break from LoL, save for the release of Lucian. Reason being, I dislike the community. This may not apply to you, but let's just say all people do is talk shit and complain. Plus, I simply just got tired of playing it. It doesn't affect my motivation in writing this though. The game just pissed me off, that's all.**

**Second, I had just a little bit to do irl. It doesn't help that Final Fantasy XIV was around the cover. You know I had to play the open beta and early access while I still can, but since both were a bust, I worked on this story instead. **

**I'm still looking for a decent beta-reader by the way. If you're good with grammar and continuity and also have the time, hit me up. I don't know who to turn to.  
**


	6. Story Update!

**AN: Sup', guys. Sorry for keeping the most of you waiting, but I'll finally get started on chapter five tomorrow (as of this update) and I'll upload it as soon as I can, I promise. I kinda got a little distracted again as of late and as a result, I can no longer promise any frequent updates. Also, for those who contacted me via PM about beta-reading my chapters, I'll be sure to send them to you beforehand to maybe, three or four of you so I can insure that they come out less flawed.**

**I didn't mean to disappoint some of you with this update rather than an actual chapter but I feel like I should inform you guys. Once the next chapter is complete, it will replace this update. **


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